Using Window Motor with VEX Ball Shifter?

[Monochron]

We are trying to interface a window motor with a typical gearbox but are a little stumped with what to do about the shaft. We took off the retaining clip, washer, and o-ring inside but it looks like the outer white "gear" is fused to the shaft.

Does anyone know how to interface this shaft with the 3 CIM Ball Shifter? The shaft size of the Window is the same as the CIM, but I don't know if there is a keyway in there or anything like that.

[FrankJ]

Not easily. The input gear of the Vex gear box is located by the motor bearings. So you would have to make an adapter that looks like a CIM on one side, complete with bearing, & couples to the window motor on the other side.

[Redo91]

My understanding, from hearing about it from older members when I was back in high school, the plastic part is the output. The metal shaft you see is just there to support the plastic and does not actually rotate. The plastic is part of a larger gear inside the motor that is driven by a worm.

[Jon Stratis]

Please note R30:

The integral mechanical and electrical system of any motor may not be modified. Motors, servos, and electric solenoids used on the ROBOT shall not be modified in any way, except as follows[...]

And the associated blue box:

Note that for the Window motors, the gearbox is considered integral to the motor, thus the motor may not be used without the gearbox.

Make sure you don't make any modifications that would make it illegal!

[Monochron]

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

Please note R30:
Make sure you don't make any modifications that would make it illegal!

Yeah, we don't really plan on modifying the motor so we should be good there.

We are thinking of cutting a keyway in a 5/16" shaft and connecting that shaft between the gearbox gear and this coupler. Then we can use that coupler to insert into the black star coupler for the Window Motor. Sound feasible?

[lcoreyl]

Originally Posted by Monochron

Yeah, we don't really plan on modifying the motor so we should be good there.

We are thinking of cutting a keyway in a 5/16" shaft and connecting that shaft between the gearbox gear and this coupler. Then we can use that coupler to insert into the black star coupler for the Window Motor. Sound feasible?

this coupler is for 10mm shaft to 1/2". how about your black coupler to 1/2 shaft to andymark 500 hub bolted to another 8mm hub with a 8mm shaft(cim size) in it?

Are you using the gear reduction of the gearbox, or is it modified just to use the shifting aspect to release a winch?

[MrBasse]

What exactly are you trying to do with the window motor and gearbox combo? Any further reduction on a window motor will make it painfully slow.

[Monochron]

Here is what we ended up doing:
http://imgur.com/a/77KvI

The gearbox gear is put on a 5/16" rod with a cotter pin to hold it in place. That rod then goes inside a wooden 1/2" dowel which goes inside the black coupler. That way the 5/16" rod fits snuggly inside the wood and the black coupler. Last, a cotter pin is put through the black coupler so that it pierces the wood dowel and the 5/16" rod.

The whole thing was done with only a electric drill and a vice. And LOTS of measuring and precision work. So far it works great, but we are going to make a backup or two just in case.

[Monochron]

Update to that design if you are interested. The wood dowel is NOT suffiecient for the loads that we are putting on this motor.

During testing today the cotter pin that holds the black coupler to the inner shaft tore through the wooden dowel inside the coupler, and got wrapped completely around the inner shaft. We assumed that it broke off and shattered but it just got sucked through the wood and bound around the inner shaft.

Tomorrow we will be replaces that wood dowel with a drilled out aluminum stock rod.